Pennsylvania District Uses Grant Funds to Expand Safety Measures

The Philipsburg-Osceola School District plans to use $97,008 in school safety grants to expand safety measures.

By Jessica Davis

May 10, 2019

The Philipsburg-Osceola School District plans to use $97,008 in school safety grants to expand safety measures, Superintendent Gregg Palladina said. Plans for the grant include the hiring of a social worker and guidance counselors.

“Part of the grant goes to the contracting of a licensed social worker for our middle school to combat mental health issues that lead to violence at an early age,” Palladina said. “[The grant] will give us social workers and guidance counselors at all levels. In addition, we will be adding a secure entrance at Osceola Mills Elementary by the way of a mousetrap design.”

Palladina said the district has been “very proactive” in terms of school security. The district has placed a school police officer at each building and has classroom barricade devices and kiosks at schools for driver’s license checks. In addition, there are metal detectors at the middle and high school campuses.

The grants were announced by the Pennsylvania School Safety and Security Committee. The funding can be used for a wide variety of school safety measures, like risk assessment and violence prevention efforts, conflict resolution initiatives and the installation or purchase of school safety technology.

“These state funds can provide much needed tools and programs to help keep students and school staff safe,” State Rep. Scott Conklin said. “That includes counseling services, training for guidance counselors and school psychologists, and technology to enhance security at school buildings.”

In the current round of funding, a total of about $40 million was awarded for 234 projects throughout Pennsylvania. The School Safety and Security Grant Program will provide a total of $52.5 million in school safety grants and $7.5 million in community violence prevention grants during the current Fiscal Year.